James j



(No Model.)

J.. J. WYLIE.

COMBINED HAMMER AND BOX OPENING AND SGEAPING DEVICE. No. Z81 ,818. Patented July 24, 1883.

N. PETERS. Photo-Lilhngnpher, Wahin un, 04 c.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES J. WYLIE, OF soDUs, NEW YORK.

COMBINED HAMMER AND, BOX OPENING AND SCRAPING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 281,818, dated July 24, 1883,

Application filed November 6. 1882. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES J. WYLIE, of Sodus, Wayne county, New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Combined Hammer and BOX Opening and Scraping Device and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the instrument. Fig. 2 is aplan of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of one corner of a cigar-box, showing the method of opening the same.

This instrument combines a handle, a short blunt blade for opening the box, and provided with a notch or slot for drawing tacks, a hammer-head for driving tacks, and a vertical sharp-edged claw for erasing stamps, the latter, from its peculiar position in rear of the blade, also serving as a stop to prevent the blade from entering too deeply into the box and cutting the cigars.

In the drawings, Ashows the handle, which is of straight form, and has an eye, a, at the rear end, by which the device may be hung on a nail.

b is a sharp-edged blunt-ended blade at the front end of the handle, made short, so as just to enter beneath the cover and above the top of the box and serve as a lever to force the cover up.

0 is a hammer-head on the back side of the handle and near the front end, at right angles thereto, for the purpose of driving tacks.

d is a vertical claw having a sharp edge at the top, said claw standing between the blade and the hammer and just back of the blade, as shown. The sharp edge is intended to erase or cancel stamps on cigar-boxes by drawing it back over the surface of the stanip.

Ordinarily cigar-boxes are opened by a knife, or a long blade, which has no gage to prevent its being thrust too deep, and as a consequence many cigars are cut and spoiled in entering the knife. The claw (1 serves an important 4 purpose additional to canceling stamps, inasmuch as it is located at such a position back of the blade as to serve as a stop to the blade and prevent the latter being thrust too deep. In entering the blade it is only necessary to 5( insert it a little distance, just sufficient to obtain leverage upon the cover, and the stop then strikes the outer edge of the cover, as shown in Fig. 3, and by this means the blade can be entered indifferently by the most inexperienced 5; person without cutting or injuring the cigars. The blade and the claw, therefore, have a pcculiar relation, which renders the instrument effective in use. The hammer serves simply to drive nails and the notch or slot f in the 6 edge of the blade serves to draw or straighten the nails.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and'desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 6 The instrument herein described, consisting of the handle A, the blade I), provided with the notch or slot f, the hammer c, and the sharp-edged claw d, standing vertically between the blade and the hammer and serving 7 as a stop to the blade, as and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES J. WYLIE.

Witnesses:

R. F. Oscoon, W. MARTIN JONES. 

